International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article Rational Design of Resveratrol O-methyltransferase for the Production of Pinostilbene Daniela P. Herrera 1 , Andrea M. Chánique 1,2 , Ascensión Martínez-Márquez 3, Roque Bru-Martínez 3 , Robert Kourist 2 , Loreto P. Parra 4,* and Andreas Schüller 4,5,* 1 Department of Chemical and Bioprocesses Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago 7820244, Chile;
[email protected] (D.P.H.);
[email protected] (A.M.C.) 2 Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria;
[email protected] 3 Department of Agrochemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies “Ramon Margalef”, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain;
[email protected] (A.M.-M.);
[email protected] (R.B.-M.) 4 Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago 7820244, Chile 5 Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 340, Santiago 8320000, Chile * Correspondence:
[email protected] (L.P.P.);
[email protected] (A.S.) Abstract: Pinostilbene is a monomethyl ether analog of the well-known nutraceutical resveratrol. Both compounds have health-promoting properties, but the latter undergoes rapid metabolization and has low bioavailability. O-methylation improves the stability and bioavailability of resveratrol. In plants, these reactions are performed by O-methyltransferases (OMTs). Few efficient OMTs that Citation: Herrera, D.P.; Chánique, monomethylate resveratrol to yield pinostilbene have been described so far.